Various types of automated or semi-automated shrimp processing machines are used to partially or completely remove a shell of a shrimp, thus readying shrimp meat for cooking and consumption. Some of these machines also have cutting capabilities which can cut the shrimp meat at desired locations.
In one type of shrimp processing machine, a main gear is equipped with a number of clamps spaced about its periphery. These machines also include a loading tray for presenting the shrimp to the main gear. The shrimp are loaded onto the loading tray by an operator. As the clamps pass the trays, they are loaded with shrimp, and once loaded; the main gear continues to rotate, thereby moving each shrimp through various processing stations such as cutting stations, meat picking stations, and the like. The cutting station typically cuts a dorsal side of the shrimp shell, and optionally the meat, and the meat picking station removes the meat from the shell.
A popular shrimp cutting style is known as the “2-4 cut,” where the shrimp is cut from the second through the fourth body sections. This type of cut results in a visually pleasing presentation for the consumer. While conventional processing machines are capable of processing shrimp at high speeds, the 2-4 cut and various other cuts are currently performed by hand, which is both time consuming and prone to differences in cut depth and length between individual shrimp.
Additionally, there can be difficulties when processing shrimp of differing sizes. Conventional machines oftentimes require extensive downtime in order to properly adjust and/or calibrate the machine to accommodate different sized shrimp, which in turn can increase overall production costs. Further, these machines oftentimes require significant adjustments and/or calibrations in order to process shrimp having different cut lengths and/or depths, as desired.